Salt Lake City — The rise of remote work marks a new era for workers all over the US. While it is a widely debated topic, offices are becoming more empty by the day with many workers choosing to work from home.

New research has discovered the states with the most remote workers, with Utah ranking fourth.

Experts at web hosting provider Hostinger analyzed data from the US Census Bureau on the number of citizens in each state who reported that they worked from home for at least one day in seven days between January 9 and February 5 2024. They worked out these numbers as a percentage of the working population in each state to determine America’s remote work hotspots.

At the top of the list is Maryland, with 44.2% of its working population having spent at least one day working from home during the seven days. The state has a total workforce of 4.7 million people, and the number of people who work remotely is just over 2 million. Of these, 45.5% worked remotely for five or more days, while 30.5% did so for just 1-2 days.

Next on the list is Colorado, with 38.6% of the workforce, or 1.8 million people, working from home during the seven days. Many of these workers worked remotely the entire week, with 56.4% reporting that they spent five or more days at home. 25.3% worked remotely for 1-2 days, leaving 18.2% who worked from home for 3-4 days.

Vermont is third, with 195,000 citizens who worked from home, which equals 38.2% of the working population. 30% worked remotely for 1-2 days, while 56.3% spent the entire week working from home.

Fourth is Utah, with 37.3% of the working population having worked remotely during the seven days. This is equal to 924,000 people out of a workforce of 2.5 million. Out of those that worked remotely, 48.2% did so for five or more days and 33.3% worked from home for just 1-2 days. 

In fifth place is Massachusetts, with just under 2 million people who worked remotely during the seven days, which is 36.6% of the state’s working population. Out of the 2 million, 26.2% worked from home for 1-2 days, 26% worked from home for 3-4 days, and 47.8% worked remotely for the entire week.

Sixth is New Hampshire, with 35.8% of the working population having worked from home. With a working population of 1.1 million people, that’s 399,000 who worked remotely. 54.4% of these workers reported that they worked from home for five or more days, while 28.4% did so for 1-2 days.

Virginia is next on the list, with 34.9% of its workforce, or 2.3 million people, working remotely during the seven days. 45.1% of these worked from home for the entire week, while 31.1% did so for just 1-2 days. The state’s total working population is 6.6 million.

In eighth place, with 33.8% of the working population who worked remotely, is New Jersey. The state’s total workforce consists of 7.2 million people, with 2.4 million who worked remotely. The majority of them worked from home for just 1-2 days, at 40.8%. 34.3% worked from home for the entire week.

Next on the list is Minnesota, with 33.4% of its working population having spent at least one day working from home during the seven-day period. The state’s total workforce is made up of 4.3 million people, with 1.4 million people who worked remotely. Out of these, 50% worked from home for five or more days, while 26.4% did so for just 1-2 days.

Tenth is Washington, with just under 2 million people who worked remotely during the seven days, which is 32.7% of the state’s working population. Out of the 2 million, 27.4% worked from home for 1-2 days, 21.2% worked from home for 3-4 days, and 51.4% worked remotely for the entire week.

The state with the lowest amount of people working remotely is Mississippi, with just 11.38% of the working population reporting that they worked remotely during the seven-day period. The state is closely followed by Wyoming and North Dakota, at 15.6% and 17.8% respectively.

A spokesperson from Hostinger has commented:

“It is fascinating to see such a big difference in the number of remote workers in each state. Many states with fewer remote workers, such as Mississippi, have economies that heavily lean on industries such as agriculture, manufacturing, and services that require physical presence. This limits opportunities for remote work compared to sectors like technology or finance, which are more prevalent in states such as Maryland.

“For many, the idea of remote work began during the COVID 19 pandemic, which forced workers to stay at home. Since then, more and more companies have started to embrace it permanently. The shift towards remote work has spotlighted its many benefits, particularly the increase in work-life balance. It eliminates daily commutes, allowing workers to reclaim valuable time. Additionally, working remotely offers the flexibility for individuals to design their own workspace, which fosters a more personalized and comfortable work environment.”

This information was provided by Hostinger, the go to place for web hosting and website building. 

Methodology

Data from the 2024 Household Pulse Survey by the US Census Bureau was analyzed to determine the ranking.

The number of people who worked from home in the past 7 days and the total working population were used to calculate a percentage for each state.

CONTACT:

rebecca.devlin-mcgurk@journoresearch.org

Phone inquires: +44208 050 0054